Imlay mother, daughter injured in crash on M-53

Prescription medication may be a factor in Friday accident on M-53

Firefighters work to free occupants of car involved in a two-vehicle accident Friday afternoon at M-53 and Bowers Rd. photo by Maria Brown.

March 12, 2008

IMLAY TWP. — Drugs prescribed for a medical condition may have played a role in an accident that injured a 23-year-old Imlay City woman and her 1-year-old daughter Friday afternoon.

Sgt. Jason Parks of the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department said investigators are analyzing whether or not 43-year-old James Enerson was affected by prescription drugs when he collided with two vehicles on M-53 around 4:30 p.m.

Enerson was heading home to Ortonville from his job in Snover, Parks said, traveling south on M-53 in a 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck. Parks said Lapeer County Central Dispatch began receiving calls around 4:16 that the driver of a 2005 Ford F-250 was driving erratically on southbound M-53 from Marlette.

Before colliding with a 1996 Plymouth Neon driven by Crystal Taylor, 23, of Imlay City at 4:30 p.m., investigators discovered that Enerson sideswiped a northbound truck which was towing a snowmobile trailer just north of Bowers Road.

Just south of Bowers Road Enerson crossed the center line and hit Chrystal Taylor's vehicle on the driver's side front, Parks reported. A third vehicle was struck by debris from the collision, he added.

Crystal Taylor's daughter, Modilyn Taylor, 1, was secured in a child safety seat in the back seat, Parks said.

Both Crystal and Modilyn were transported to Hurley Hospital in Flint. Crystal was initially listed in critical condition, but Parks said on Monday her condition was improving.

Modilyn was listed in stable condition and was released from the hospital at noon on Saturday.

Enerson was not injured in the crash, however he was checked over for heart-related symptoms and released.

Enerson told investigators that he may have fallen asleep, and that he was taking drugs prescribed for a medical condition.

"We're taking a look at whether or not prescription medicine played a role in the accident," Parks said. "We've collected specimens for analysis to let us know what we're looking at."

Parks said alcohol is not a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation.

He added that Crystal Taylor was wearing a seatbelt and that her daughter Modilyn was properly secured in a child safety seat.

The Lapeer County Sheriff's Department was assisted at the scene by Imlay City and Lapeer Township police and troopers from the Michigan State Police Post in Lapeer.